ASOS stops taking orders after fire breaks out in its warehouse in South Yorkshire

Online fashion giant ASOS has temporarily stopped taking orders after a fire broke out in its warehouse last night, causing ‘substantial damage’, the company has said.

ASOS said nobody was hurt but took down its website, adding it was unable to take any orders until it could 'ascertain the extent of the damage' at its warehouse in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

In a statement on their Facebook page late last night Asos said: ‘We experienced a fire in our warehouse tonight and fortunately nobody was hurt. We understand there has been substantial damage but it's too early to ascertain the extent.

Temporarily offline: ASOS was forced to shut down its website after a fire in its warehouse

‘We will not be taking any orders in the meantime. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.’

To a customer who placed an order yesterday for next day delivery enquiring if she would receive it today, ASOS this morning replied on Facebook: ‘There is substantial fire damage, and it is too unsafe for anyone to go in. As soon as we're able to re-enter the warehouse, we can assess the damage and confirm which orders were affected. Thanks for your patience.‘

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ASOS warehouse is said to contain over 10million boxes of packaging and is more than 60,000 square metres in size.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: ‘The fire at the Asos warehouse is now out. One fire engine is still there with thermal imaging cameras to ensure it doesn't reignite.'

On fire: ASOS warehouse in South Yorkshire, where firefighters tackled a large blaze last night

They confirmed that 10 engines, including three from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, had been sent to tackle the blaze. An investigation into the cause is due to begin today.

The news is another blow to Asos, which earlier this month posted its second profits warning in the space of three months.

Following the news, more than £1billion was wiped from the value of the company as the AIM-listed stock fell by 31 per cent – the worst one-day fall in its history.

Shares in the online retailer have ballooned in the past ten years, leading to stratospheric growth in the company’s value and making it a favourite for investors. They peaked at above £71 in February, but yesterday closed 4p higher at 1403p lower at 2,752p.